Chapter 3

Three

S omehow, she let Damon talk her into leaving the bar an hour early and wait for Holden and Riley back at the Savage home. When something happened to any of the family, everyone held down the fort together at the parent's home.

Backed up to the outskirts of town, the Savages had one of the best properties. Close to five acres of pure peace and quiet. Something you didn't find in downtown Houston. She swore even the mosquitoes knew not to disturb the peace here.

Movement caught her eye along the back edge of the property. Luscious pines and oaks stretched into the sky, the branches mingling with the stars as an elk calf called for his mom amongst the large roots. Zahara smiled. They had a slice of heaven she would miss dearly.

A familiar ache settled around her heart.

She'd miss them . She knew that fact like she knew she had to leave this borrowed life. Her sister needed her. But the one fact she hated most of all was that they deserved better. A woman who would stick around and who could give them children.

Various shades of pinks and purples merged into dusk that matched the indigo color of her tank top. Despite the amount of light the day held, she could still see the twinkle of the brightest of stars fighting to shine through.

She blew out a deep breath through her nose. After the adrenaline and fear seeped from her body and left her mind clear enough to think she'd checked her messages. While hanging from that damn rope Riley had dialed her phone instead of focusing on getting his ass out of harm's way. His father had been right. She was putting him in danger.

Zahara pressed the phone to her ear and listened to the message again. "Hey baby, I know you're watching TV right 'bout now. Don't worry. We'll be home in time for dinner and dessert, baby. Holden sends his love too."

Love? She hadn't mistaken it. He had used the one word she never expected to hear.

Love.

That was the first time she'd heard it from either of them. Was it from the stress of the day? Or could it be true? Did he just want to soothe her at the time? A new fear inked a thought into her brain, but she dashed it away.

When they arrived and she saw with her own two eyes that both men were fine she would excuse herself, return to her apartment over Damon's bar, pack and be gone by morning. The small details like convincing the oldest Savage brother to fly her to Fairbanks would be another problem for the morning. For now, she only needed to keep her pillowy soft stuffing inside together for a little while longer.

Zahara smoothed away nonexistent wrinkles in her tank top and jeans as she leaned against the thick pine post of the porch. Crickets sang their lullaby as dusk set in. Alaska's midnight sun lit the sky…a beautiful thing to behold after such a long winter. She barely believed the first nights of endless day as the sun never dipped beyond the horizon for three solid months until she experienced it for herself.

Unable to sit idly by and wait, Zahara ran her fingers through her hair, tying the lengths into a long plait around her shoulder, and then undoing the work only to rework her raven locks again.

"Girl, you're going to wear the boards down or work yourself bald if you don't take a seat."

Rowdy laughs and teasing fed through the crack of the door as Mr. Savage stepped out of the house and closed the door behind him. All the Savage brothers and their sister each tried to talk over the other as they worked to prepare dinner for a hungry crowd. Drake and Ethan's wives were also here, doing their part as a tight unit of support.

Such a large crowd made her antsy. Besides, show the slightest bit of weakness and they would descend on her like a pack of mother bears. She smiled but shivered at the same time.

Give her the wide-open space where she could gather a thought or two before the men arrived. What she told her sister was true. After today, cutting ties would be harder, but it had to be done.

"Here. Take a good belly full of this."

She took the offered glass of clear liquid from Holden's dad.

"Thought you may need a little of the good stuff before the boys took it all." Mr. Savage winked at her, and the gentle look in his eye pulled a smile from her. If Holden looked anything like his father when he hit sixty, some lucky woman would be very happy. A dull pain bloomed in the space around her heart and her throat clenched until it was hard to breathe.

"Once you take a drink of that you'll feel better. The world won't be so bleak." He kept his words nonchalant and his tone even.

She appreciated his silent understanding.

"Something on your mind, baby girl?"

She swirled the silver-ish contents of the glass. "You know, Holden calls me that. I can see where he gets it from."

Mr. Savage's mouth turned up in a knowing smile. Silver graced the edges of his beard and worked around to dust through the length of his dark hair, making him look every bit the wise man she knew him to be. "There's a lot more he gets from his old man, but he probably wouldn't appreciate me saying so." The chair groaned as he lowered his formidable weight into the cushion. With his broad shoulders and sturdy waist, his children shared the same features down to the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Tonight though, his eyes didn't twinkle and worry worked deep grooves along his forehead.

"Ahh, I see." she nodded saying nothing more.

He rumbled a low laugh. "Perceptive girl," he acknowledged her silent understanding of what he meant, raising his glass in a salute. She followed his lead and took a seat in one of the many wicker chairs decorating the front porch. "Momma might be a little shy in saying so, but we understand the pull of love versus the rules of society."

"You mean, you and Mrs. Savage? You..." She knew what he meant but wanted to hear the words. Feel a little less like society's outcast for her choice in partners. She ran a finger around the rim of her glass. How did she ask what she thought he was saying without being nosy, or worse, disrespectful?

He spoke softly, as though the memory was still fragile. His eyes focused on nothing in particular as wisps of the past flitted across his somber expression. Soft brown eyes settled on her. "The answer is yes, baby girl. Probably not many remember or choose to forget, but in the end, I guess it doesn't matter because it wasn't meant to be. Abigail was hit the hardest. She loved us both and you can bet we loved her. A woman's heart is a little more tender than a man's, but I felt the loss just the same."

That explained a lot. "I'm sorry, Mr. Savage."

"It's okay. And it's been ten months, going on eleven. 'Bout time you started calling me Jasha. You're making me feel old, girl."

Zahara smiled, nodding as she worked through the few details he shared. Did the rest of the Savage bunch know? She's never heard anyone talk about having another father. Millions of questions paraded through her mind, and all of them had to do with how he'd survived such pain. But asking them? She couldn't without feeling guilty.

"Abby and I continued on, had the family we talked about before the accident left us both dealing with the loss of the other half of our heart. We found strength in each other and pushed on."

Traces of pain lingered in his voice and said volumes more than what he actually shared. She recognized the sound of that pain, knew the damage it caused and the remains left behind.

Holden's mother was a quiet woman, always quick with a smile, but ready with a firm hand when it came to her boys. She imagined raising men with a stubborn streak the size of Alaska wasn't an easy undertaking.

High beams from a cherry red Ford truck reflected off the front windows, and they both turned. She placed her glass down as they both stood. Holden's high 4x4 rumbled through the tall grass and came to a stop at the edge of the field right before touching the lush grass of his momma's manicured yard.

Zahara glanced up as Mr. Savage wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a brief hug. "Follow your instincts, baby girl, and everything will be okay." With that, Holden's father swung the front door open and called for his wife. "Woman, get out here—the boys are home." He spoke as if Riley belonged among their family.

Two doors swung open on opposite sides of the truck. Dark gazes sought hers. Every promise—every safe fact she clutched to her chest— faded away until all she could see were them, both waiting for her to jump into their arms.

Holden and Riley stepped around the truck, all warm smiles, and open arms.

Her footing slipped and she drew up short of throwing herself at them like some lovesick woman. She may be desperate for them, but she couldn't afford to arm them with the munitions to use on her when it came time to part ways.

She could barely breathe. "You're home." Their watchful gazes seared her soul. Twisting her fingers into the end of her braid, blood rushed in her ears. Everything in her told her to go to them, accept the safety of their open arms, but she couldn't move another step now.

What was wrong with her?

Zahara glanced between the two men and found her missing ire hanging in the wings, waiting for her to pull her head together. "You scared the hell outta me. Both of you." She wound the ends of her braid between her fingers. Anything to keep all ten digits, and every other body part, on this side of the invisible line they toed, oblivious to her self-imposed boundaries.

It was increasingly hard to be mad at either man with them looking at her like they worshiped the ground she walked on. Those gold and brown eyes watched her every move. They were dangerously lethal to her willpower.

"Yeah, it was a bit of a rodeo up there, sweetheart, but those kids are safe and sound." Holden glanced at the ground separating them, brow pinched with confusion.

Two long strides and they swallowed up the safe space she coveted. Holden glided up behind her, pushing her into Riley's arms. Pressed between them, she had nowhere to go.

"After today those teenagers won't try a climb like that again," Riley added, running the tips of his fingers the length of her arms.

Caged between them, heat of a different kind filled her veins.

Riley's eyes roamed over her, and she knew his focus was on her and not his words.

She tried to slip from between them but there was no use in moving either of them.

"Where ya going, baby girl?" Holden's lips parted with his softly spoken question as he melded them to the shell of her ear.

She shuddered and involuntarily tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to her neck.

Holden wrapped his strong hands around her waist and pulled. He didn't have to move her far. They didn't allow much space between them in the first place.

She worked down a moan. Alaska knew how to grow her men. Hard all over, tall enough to make the submissive in her purr when they pressed her curves between their rock-hard bodies and smooth talkers. Arms made for wrapping around a woman and enough muscle she still had areas she never grew tired of exploring. And dimples to match. Lawdy, those dimples. She and Remy, their younger brother's woman, had downed many bottles of wine talking over the power of dimples on a Savage man.

Holden's graced either side of his cheeks while Riley had only one that creased the top left corner of his lip when he smiled. Or when he had a mouth full of her eager, honey-drenched pussy.

Mmm. She groaned low in her throat catching both men's attention.

Both clipped the sunglasses they held to the front of their shirts. Hands, callused and possessive caught hers. One more night, just the three of them, and then she would say her goodbyes. Yeah, she liked that plan better. Hot sex was always the best way to say adios .

She wore a simple gold band on her left middle finger Holden loved to tinker with. He played with it now, working the metal in circles, his lips trailing over the soft dip in her shoulder. Her other hand came up to rest on Riley's chest. "Let's get our girl out of here, Riley. Show her we're just fine by loving her all night long. The family will understand."

They moved to tug her toward their truck but she hesitated in following.

Riley brows pinched together showing obvious confusion. "Something wrong?"

Abso-fucking-lutely. Yes, there was something wrong. "No."

Everything was wrong. Mainly her stupid soft heart that confused lust for love all the damn time she was within touching distance of either mountain man. Why couldn't she be more like her sister? "I'm just happy you're both okay and everyone is inside waiting. You know they've gone through a lot of work to make you guys a big meal."

Mellowed sunlight brushed one side of Riley's chiseled jawline, drawing her eyes from his all too kissable lips and further south to the thick bulge straining worn jeans. God, did these men know how to fill out a pair, but she preferred bare chests to the T-shirts they had on. A girl could have her weakness.

Riley stared at her like she'd said just what he wanted to hear before pulling her body against his. "Come here, baby girl. You're needing your men aren't you and don't know how to say it. After all the time we've spent pleasuring your sweet body?"

"Oh, she wants," Holden stated with confidence. "Don't you, baby? Those pretty eyes are lit with just how much you want."

He was right. She hungered for them. Savagely so.

She bit back a shiver at Holden's husked words. They did things to her. Things he would love if he slipped his hands into her pants and felt for the girl cum wetting her pussy right this second.

Why the hell did she have to be so weak those two little words? They stoked the urge for another Alaskan sex-filled night with her pressed between both men under a blanket of soft sunshine.

Riley bent at the waist, took two handfuls of her ass and lifted, giving her no other choice but to wrap her arms and legs around him. Not a wince or groan of pain signaled he was in pain. No sign of injury. Not Riley, nothing ever fazed him. He was as rough and hard as that mountain he'd been on, but she saw the tender insides.

Pine and fresh spring-scented soap clung to them both, and she drew the calming, familiar smell in until her lungs nearly exploded.

Riley broke the comforting silence of simply touching one another. "I told you we'd be home for dinner."

She wanted to be dinner. As if hearing her thoughts, he growled, deep and throaty.

"Keep looking at us like that and we'll show you how fast we can break the speed limit getting you home."

Oh God. "Try it and I won't be responsible for what happens when you do get me alone." She leaned in until her aching nipple brushed against Riley's chest.

Damn him. There went her stern self-talk and plan. She unhooked her legs and moved to stand on her own.

"Oh no. You're not going anywhere." Riley tightened his grip.

"Say what you want, tough man, I know you're hurt." She noticed the bruising forming right below the short cuff of his shirt. She could only imagine what the rest of his body looked like. He had to be in pain.

"I'll heal. But only if you stay right where you're at."

He didn't waste any time working her as close to him as possible. His mind nowhere near today's incident from the way he leaned back and propped a foot on the fender of his truck, his expression calm. Delicious pressure hit her center.

"We need to fix the clothes issue," he growled low for her ears only.

"I agree, but not here."

She inhaled deeply at the carnal promises his tone carried.

She wanted to fight her attraction but, hey, one more night with the inked, muscled badass cocky mountain men wouldn't do any harm.

Holden came to stand behind her and glided a hand up her bare arm, over her shoulder until he had her braid in hand. Tugging her to face him, her lips parted for the slow glide of his lips across hers.

Riley cupped a hand around the back of her head, holding her steady for Holden to devour her mouth. Between her thighs, Riley's cock grew thicker and she swore the heat of his desire burned through the layers of clothing. Beneath his cotton shirt, taut muscles rippled under her outstretched hands. Desire peaked in her core as her head fell back to rest against Holden's shoulder.

Forcing her eyes open she fell under the wicked spell of Riley's gaze as she kissed his friend.

He grinned, his expression hungry and damn if the heat in his eyes didn't send a primal heat ripping through her.

Devouring the Alaskan hunks sounded like the best and worst of ideas. They'd whisk her away, she'd dive into the illusion of their fantasy till morning and damn, wouldn't that be a fine ending to a freaking stressful day?

Holden's lips found their way down her throat and the lazy licks and nips over her collarbone left her gasping. Were they planning on laying her out and fucking her right here?

Riley gave a throaty growl as he watched. "Fuck, Zahara," he groaned out, taking a bit more of her weight so Holden could release the top three buttons of her blouse.

Warm hands slid into her shirt and when warm lips surrounded the tip of her nipple she sucked back air.

"Holden," she gasped in a whisper. Her hands didn't know what to focus on. Riley's hard abs or keeping Holden in place.

Riley leaned a little further back and shifted her to settle over his swelling shaft. The man knew the way around her hesitation in one move. He made her weak, knowingly or not.

Using the hand he wasn't holding her with, Riley wrapped his strong fingers around the breast his friend sucked on and held it up for his friend to thoroughly enjoy.

When Holden hollowed his cheeks and sucked, Riley squeezed and massaged the heavy weight of her tit before moving to the next. Exposing both nipples to his greedy mouth, her head fell back with a throaty moan on her lips. They worked in perfect unison like always causing the walls of her pussy to clench with need.

She reached for Riley needing to have his mouth on her too and he didn't disappoint.

Their breaths were hot against her skin. Their strong arms pinning her tightly to their hard bodies. She could sense they needed this—whatever it was between them—as much as she craved to feel them. Their strength, warmth.

Both men licked and nibbled until she was panting hard, her release ready to explode through her. Riley released her breast to Holden's hand and popped the button to her jeans.

He tugged back the edge of her panties and the second the rough pad of his fingers pinched around her throbbing clit she knew there was no stopping until she came for them.

Zahara buried her hand in their hair and held on.

"So fucking tight and wet. Hold on to us, baby girl, you're going to come for us and then we're taking you home and filling your ass and pussy just the way you like it."

Her pussy clenched. Riley's whispered dirty talk always did it for her.

Her hips bucked against them.

"Let him make you come, baby. Wet his fingers and soak those panties because when I take them off you later I want to see just how drenched you got for us right here in the front yard."

Before reality had a chance to take hold, Riley buried a finger then two into her tight channel.

Oh fuck...

"I can feel your tight cunt getting ready to give me all those sweet, heavenly juices."

Holden released the taut peak of her breast and crashed into her with a hard, hot claiming kiss.

"Come for us, baby girl. Let go so we can get you home and feel that hot, sweet honey drip all over our cocks." Riley rasped.

Tucked away from sight, she flung her arms around Holden's neck, tits bare and exposed just for them as she humped Riley's hand.

She couldn't answer, only moaned into Holden's hungry mouth.

She rocked her hips at the same time Riley applied just the right amount of pressure around her clit.

Fuck yes!

Zahara screamed and Holden was right there to devour every sound as if he fed off her pleasure. Shuttering breaths tore from her. Her core tightened and then suddenly released a wave of fire to fill her veins, rolled over every inch of her skin and left her in need of massive amounts of air.

Riley worked her clit in slow swirling motions extending her climax. She could hear the sound of her slicked up, dripping wet pussy soaking his hand and it only made her hotter for them. Her heart pounded and each thunderous beat made her clit throb with a renewed ache.

Holden broke off the kiss. "I'm not waiting. Get the fuck in the truck. Now. I'll drive. Keep her pussy primed and ready for us until we get her home."

"We haven't had truck sex yet. I think we should remedy that."

Riley made quick work of pulling the edges of her bra over her nipples but didn't bother with buttons.

A growled fuck is all she heard and looked to see Holden drawn up short.

She could feel the glances of all the Savages siblings from the porch several yards away, the screen door slamming shut behind them. Riley pressed his hands into her backside while Holden pinned her from the other side, full lips trailing soft kisses to the top of her head, his arms like tight bands around her.

A catcall carried over the expanse of the yard and Holden groaned. "Don't you have anything better to do?" His chest vibrated against her back with the force of his deep voice and sent a flush of need through her.

Ethan only egged his brother on with another whistle, this time low and sensual. Zahara didn't have to look at him to know he wiggled his brows at his brother while he wrapped an arm around his girl, Remy.

Zahara needed to talk with the whole crew about privacy. And since she had two men, she needed double the privacy.

She snuggled into Riley's shoulder. He tightened his hold. "I can't believe I let you make me come right in front of everyone."

"Pity we stopped," Riley whispered back.

God, he was murder to her control.

She paused with her hands poised to bury her fingers into the long length of his dark hair. Another habit she would need to break.

She angled her head to see the crowd and threw a kiss to Ethan who still nursed a nasty gunshot wound that was laced with poison after a run-in with a shitty local man yesterday. "Remy's not gonna let you spank her when you get better if you're not careful."

"Now that would be a shame," he countered with a wiggle of his brows. What had she stepped into when coming to Savage Ridge?

Holden pulled Zahara to him and whispered in a husky voice, "We can give them one minute and then we're out," stroking a hand down her arm.

"Boys, let that poor girl down to walk on her own two feet and get in here before the dinner gets cold."

"Boys." She turned to both and cooed in her best Southern drawl meant to disarm them with a little charm. "I think Mrs. Savage means business."

Holden flicked her warning away and leaned in until his lips brushed the shell of her ear. "When we get you home I'd like an answer to something you did. Depending on your answer determines if you get a spanking."

Her eyes flashed to Riley's and she could see both men were on the same page.

She swallowed slowly.

Riley pulled back, his eyes hooded from hers, but the tight pull along his shoulders told her everything she needed to know. He was gunning for the spanking no matter her answer. "But for now, let's go see the family or they'll follow us home and then we'll never get you to bed."

Their family. Not hers. No matter what she fantasized.

"You have a one-track mind."

"That a bad thing?"

A heated challenge flashed in Riley's eyes.

"There's more than one answer to that question," she countered.

She couldn't afford to let thoughts like that cross her mind. "Everyone whipped up one hell of a dinner for you. Potatoes, roast beef, garlic bread and enough apple pie to feed half of Texas. According to Ethan, it would be just enough for this crew."

"Sounds about right."

Holden kissed the top of her head gently as Riley eased her to the ground, keeping an arm around her.

Damn if her heart didn't bleed. She wouldn't be surprised if she looked down to see it beating on the long sleeve of her shirt right then. Just how many times would she fall for Riley's quiet voice and Holden's lingering touches?

Every damn time and you know it.

Headlights from an old Chevy broke through the pale evening light, and she turned to see a tight face and angered eyes peering out over the steering wheel.

Oh, hell. Of course, he would show up.

Riley stiffened beside her and Holden slid a hand into her back pocket, drawing her closer to him.

"He's just here because he's worried about Riley," he reassured her.

Yeah, no. Not entirely true. In all the touching and kissing and coming she'd failed to tell Riley about what happened with his father today. Looking at the anger on the old man's face, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. She didn't want to be the reason a fight broke out.

Dust rolled in from the lack of rain over the last couple of weeks as the older Ashwood rounded the last bend in the long dirt drive leading up to the Savages' home.

A sudden unease settled over both men as Riley's father busted out of his truck. He didn't even bother to kill the motor or close the door behind him. Anger boiled behind his eyes and tightened his face into a grimace so fierce she feared he'd have a heart attack if he wasn't careful.

"Let's go, boy. Time to get home." Ashwood wavered on his feet and used the truck for balance.

"I'm not a boy anymore, Father. You're drunk off your ass and making one out of yourself. Go home." Riley broke rank and approached his father. She could see the second every muscle in his body went rigid the closer he got. "Sleep it off and we can talk in the morning. Or not. I don't care anymore."

Ashwood stumbled forward and Riley caught him. "Boy, you're the one that almost died today. All because of that bitch you're sharing. I didn't make all those sacrifices raising you for you to piss them away."

Riley jerked away as if burned from his father's drunken and slurred words, letting the older man stumbled forward.

For a man almost three times her size and older than her by almost six years, she'd come to find Riley rarely played nice with anyone who dared disrespect him. So to see him not pummel his father was a relief.

"I'll forgive you once, but you ever call our mate another insult, father or not, you'll eat the words before they leave your fucking mouth."

Mate? As in soul mate? His words clung to her thoughts. Zahara's gaze rose to find Holden's. "What does he mean by mate?"

Riley faced his father head-on like a wall of protection blocking his view of her. "I didn't die. You see me here, breathing. Now if you're done putting your nose into my business, get in your truck and sleep it off." Riley walked past his father and yanked the key from the truck.

She'd never heard such disgust come from him. Could this be the man she knew, because his usual easy-going tone vanished? The command in his tone held no room for negotiation. She feared what would happen between father and son if he knew the confrontation they had earlier.

"I'm your family. Along with your mother and sisters," Ashwood continued his slurred argument.

"No one said you're not," Riley roared, slamming a fist down on the hood of the truck. Anger tightened his muscles in a way she'd never witnessed before and she could tell from the intense look in his eyes that Riley wanted to pound something, someone.

"You put the Ashwood mark on that bitch and you're out. Get her pregnant and you can forget coming home. The family business will belong to one of your sisters. The Ashwood name lost. Is that what you want?"

Only a flicker of movement was the only warning. Riley grabbed his father by the collar and hauled back.

"No!" she yelled, fear at the regret he would suffer later from striking his father pulling her into action.

Riley had him bent over the hood of his truck, and every word Riley uttered came out rougher than the one that followed. "You have her to thank , that I'm standing here old man."

Holden let out a long-winded sigh. "I'm sorry, baby. You really shouldn't have to see this. Don't think for a second any of this is about you."

He can't be serious. This was all about her.

Who the hell did he think it was about? She gave him a hard side-eye. Neither Holden nor Riley knew the Ashwood Sr. had come at her in the bar earlier. She twisted her braid and looked down at her shoes, willing the dampness rimming her eyes away with all the might left in her. It took all she had not to jump in the truck and burn rubber all the way back to Houston this second.

Riley released his father and stepped back as Jasha walked between them. "Ashwood, why don't you come inside and we can talk about this."

Zahara didn't need to hear anymore or see what her presence did to Riley's family no matter how Holden wanted to paint it.

"Take me home," she whispered to neither in particular.

Riley slammed his fist into the hood of his truck, his eyes leveled on nothing in particular as he rounded his shoulders.

"Yeah, let's get back to the house. Dad can help Ashwood settle down. Everything will work out."

"No." She looked up into the eyes of a very pissed off mountain man. "My home. Take me home. On second thought, you know what, I can drive myself." She swiped the keys out of Holden's hand.

The look in Riley's eyes cut her like a razor blade as his gaze tracked her progress to the driver's seat of Holden's truck. Settled behind the wheel, her gaze connected with the hurt she saw and it killed a little bit of her heart. But it didn't change what she had to do next.

She would never be the one to tear a family apart. Ever.

She didn't dare look back as she pushed the pedal to the floorboard, dust kicking up in her wake. Tonight she took control over her unruly heart and body. She had a plane to catch.